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Meteorites and Tektites

Thin slice of a pallasite (stony-iron) meteorite found in Russia in 2004

Meteorites are pieces of stone or metal that fall to Earth from outer space. Most come from the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, but a few are from the Moon or Mars. The Ulster Museum has a representative collection of meteorite types, including a 113kg iron meteorite, a spectacular thin slice of a pallasite, a small lunar meteorite, and samples of four meteorites that have fallen in Ireland. Tektites are green to black glassy objects. They are formed on Earth when a giant meteorite impacts and causes the surrounding rocks to melt.This fell at Millbillillie, Western Australia, in October 1960

Pictured above: Thin slice of a pallasite (stony-iron) meteorite found in Russia in 2004.

Pictured right: A stony meteorite with a glossy 'fusion crust', formed by melting on its fiery descent to Earth. This fell at Millbillillie, Western Australia, in October 1960. 

Tektites, molten droplets from a giant impact. These are from Laos, south-east Asia.

Pictured left: Tektites, molten droplets from a giant impact. These are from Laos, south-east Asia.



Seymchan Pallasite Slice Seymchan Pallasite Slice
Meteorites are rare and wondrous things, fragments of worlds other than our own.The weight of gold that has been mined on Earth far exceeds the total weight of all meteorites in the world’s collections. Among the rarest of meteorites are pallasites, in which translucent yellow or green crys...

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